Collapsible garment hanger

ABSTRACT

The invention herein disclosed in a collapsible garment hanger consists of a pair of like garment hanger arms that are pivotally connected by a spindle arrangement inserted through their respective coupled ends such that the unconnected ends the hanger arms can be collapsed towards each other around the spindle coupling. The stem end of a clothes rod engaging hook is journaled around the spindle, between the coupled hanger arm ends, which spindle also serves as a seat for maintaining a spring means that biases the coupled hanger arm ends towards one another. Cam tracks ending in flat faces formed to extend normally from the opposite hanger arm faces are arranged to slide over one another as the hanger arms are pivoted apart until the flat faces slide over one another, locking the hanger arms in an extended attitude. Twisting of the respective unconnected hanger arm ends, against the spring biasing the flat faces, separates the flat faces and allows them to move back over one another, thereby allowing the hanger arms to be pivoted back towards one another so as to collapse the hanger. The collapsed hanger can be inserted down through the neck of a sweater, blouse, or the like, without necessitating stretching the neck of the garment. Thereafter the hanger arms can be pivoted as described away from one another to an extended attitude.

United States Patent [191 Love et al.

[11] 3,802,610 Apr. 9, 1974 COLLAPSIBLEGARMENT HANGER 22 Filed: Dec.26, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 318,252

Primary ExaminerGeorge l-l. Krizmanich [57] ABSTRACT The invention herein disclosed in a collapsible garment hanger consists of a pair of like garment hanger arms that are pivotally connected by a spindle arrangement inserted through their respective coupled ends such that the unconnected ends the hanger arms can be collapsed towards each other around the spindle coupling. The stem end of a clothes rod engaging hook is journaled around the spindle, between the coupled hanger arm ends, which spindle also serves as a seat for maintaining a spring means that biases the coupled hanger arm ends towards one another. Cam tracks ending in flat faces formed to extend normally from the opposite hanger arm faces are arranged to slide over one another as the hanger arms are pivoted apart until the flat faces slide over one another, locking the hanger arms in an extended attitude. Twisting of the respective unconnected hanger arm ends, against the spring biasing theflat faces, separates the flat faces and allows them to move back over one another, thereby allowing thehanger arms to be pivoted back towards one another so as to collapse the hanger. The collapsed hanger can be inserted down through the neck of a'sweater, blouse, or the like, without necessitating stretching the neck of the garment. Thereafter the hanger arms can be pivoted as described away from one another to an extended attitude.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1 COLLAPSIBLEGARMENT HANGER BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 1 Field of the Invention This invention relates to collapsible garment hangers.

2. Prior Art Every person who has ever had to thread a conventional clothes hanger up through the body of a narrow necked garment has probably recognized the need such for a hanger capable of being collapsed upon itself for insertion through a garment neck whereafter the hanger is expanded to its full size. A need for such a hanger has obviously existed for some number of years, and it is understandable that a number of collapsible garment hangers have been proposed and possibly even have been produced. Collapsible hangers are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 890,023, 912,047, 1,040,942, 1,278,054, 1,979,687, 2,558,583, 2,872,090, and 3,334,793. i i

While the above cited patents all disclose garment hangers which are capable of being collapsed, none of the cited references, nor does any hanger to our knowledge, employ the spring biased pivotally connected hanger arms and the respective opposing locking cam surfaces of the present invention. Rather, the garment hangers of U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,040,942, 1,979,687, and 2,558,583, unlike the present invention, wherein hanger arms are rotated upwardly from a compass point of approximately 180 with respect to a suspended hook, all employ lug or pier projections on the hanger arms that are brought into binding or bracing engagement by downward rotation of the respective arms with respect to each other from a compass point of approximatelyzero degrees with respect to a supporting hook. Rotation of the hanger arms downwardly from a zero degree point, of course, makes the installation of such a collapsed hanger through the narrow neck of a garment at least difficult and therefore impractical for such use.

The garment hanger of U.S. Pat. No. 1,278,054 collapses, as does the hanger of the present invention, to approximately a 180 degree compass point. Unlike the present invention, however, the garment hanger of the aforesaid patent employs acollapsing horizontal arm arrangement. The horizontal arm, when extended, locks the hanger arms in an extended attitude one with the other.

The garment hangers of U.S. Pat. Nos. 890,023, 912,047, and 3,334,793, involve hanger arms which are extended like the hanger arms of the present invention, but that employ sliding clips or interlocking teeth arrangements as means for releasably maintaining the hanger arms in an extended attitude. While the locking teeth of the U.S. Pat. No. 912,047 interlock somewhat like the opposite hanger arm cam surfaces of the present invention, in that the respective teeth are slanted and slide over one another in one direction of arm movement, but come into binding engagement with one another when an attempt is made to rotate the hanger arms to recollapse the arms together, the means for displacing the engaged teeth of the aforesaid patent out of engagement is unlike the unlocking arrangement of the hanger of the present invention. The aforesaid U.S. Pat. No. 912,047, involves a thumb operated camming means whose operation bends one hanger arm with respect to the other, disengaging the teeth, and allowing the hanger arms to be rotated back together. The hanger of the present invention, however, employs a spring means to bias into locking engagement the faces of opposite cam surfaces formed therein when the hanger arms are extended apart.

The garment hanger disclosed in U.S. Pat. No 2,872,090, like the present invention, employs a spring means with a collapsible hanger whose arms are movable from a degree compass point to an extended attitude. However, the spring of the aforesaid patent is arranged toact directly on the hanger arms, biasing them apart towards an extended attitude, whereas the spring means of the present invention is arranged as the hanger locking means for biasing the respective hanger arms together.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a principle object of the present invention to pro vide a garment hanger capable of being collapsed so as to bring together unconnected hanger arm ends, which hanger arms can later be manually extended apart and releasably in an outstretched attitude.

Another object is to provide a collapsible garment hanger whose individual arms are: identical, requiring only a single mold, or the like, to fabricate both arms, preferably from inexpensive materials.

Still another object is to provide a hanger that is easily assembled by pivotally coupling like arm ends into a'finished hanger.

Principle features of the present. invention include a hanger composed of two identical hanger arms that are pivotally connecting together by a spindle inserted through appropriate ends thereof. Each of the coupled hanger arms has respectively a cam surface and a pier formed on the face of its pivotally connected end. The hanger arm faces are pivotally connected by a spindle inserted therethrough, such that the respective cam surfaces are arranged to travel over one another when the arms are moved apart, with opposite edges of the respective piers moving into abutting engagement against the stem of a wire hook when the hanger arms are fully extended, i.e. spread apart. The stem end of the wire hook is bent around the spindle that pivotally joins the arm ends together. Pivoting of the hanger arms moves one cam surface over the other, ultimately aligning flat faces extending therefrom, such that when the faces slide over one another and spring together they lock the hanger arms in an extended attitude.

Engagement of the flat faces of the cam surfaces with the hook prevents the collapse of the extended hanger arms. A spring means is arranged with the hanger arm pivotal connection to bias the coupled hanger arm ends towards one another. This tends to resist movement of one cam face sliding over the other cam face, and as the cam surfaces flat faces move past one another, to spring the flat faces into abutting relationship with one another.

The described spring bias against the pivotally connected hanger arm ends can be overcome by twisting the unconnected ends of the respective hanger arms in opposite directions. The cam surfaces flat faces will then slide apart until the respective cam surfaces align and can be rotated back over one another, as the hanger arm unconnected ends are moved towards each other.

Additional objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken together with the accompanying drawings.

THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the garment hanger of the invention shown in a fully extended attitude;

FIG. 2, a side elevation view of the garment hanger of FIG. 1, shown collapsed;

FIG. 3, a sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4, a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5, an exploded perspective taken from the front and off to one side of the garment hanger of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawings:

The collapsible hanger of the present invention, hereinafter referred to as hanger, is shown in an extended attitude in FIG. 1, in a collapsed attitude in FIG. 2, and in an exploded view in FIG. 5. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, the hanger 10 includes two identical hanger arms 11 that are preferably formed from a plastic or like material and are turned with respect to one another such that essentially flat faces 13 of circular hanger coupling ends 12 thereof are aligned opposite to one another. The the hanger arms 11 are identical, and it should therefore be understood that the description of one hanger arm 11 will be a description of the other.

Each hanger face 13 has a cam surface 14 extending therefrom. Each cam surface 14 extends partially around the periphery of face 13 and is gradually sloped from a beginning in the plane of face 13 to a cam surface edge 16 of a shoulder forming a flat cam face 17 extending normal to the face 13. A pier 15 extends arcuately around and projects from the face 13, further than does cam face 17. One wall or side 15a of pier 15 is formed to be essentially diametrically opposite the flat face 17 on the face 13 and another wall or side 15b projects from face 13 at the beginning of the cam surface 14.

The hanger coupling ends 12 are pivotally connected by a spindle 18, shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, loosely 'journaled through holes 19 formed through the hanger connecting ends 12. The hanger arms 11 are pivoted around the spindle 18 to bring the ends 11a thereof towards or away from each other between hanger extended and collapsed attitudes. In the extended attitude of the hanger 10, the pier sides 15a of the hanger coupling ends 12 are brought together, locking a stem 20a of a hook 20, FIG. 5, therebetween. One end of which stem 20a is in turn formed into a circle at 21 that is journaled onto the body 18a of the spindle 18 between the hanger arm faces 13. In the collapsed attitude of hanger 10 the walls 17 abut sides 15b of piers 15 and the stem 20a of hook 20 is free to pivot on spindle 19 between the spaced apart. walls 15a.

In assembling the hanger, the spindle 18 is fitted through the hook circle 21, sandwiching the hook stem 200 between the hanger arm faces 13, such that the hook 20 will pivot, as shown by the dotted line representation in FIG. 2, between the pier sides 15a. The hook 20 is, bent or otherwise formed into a clothes rod bendable locking ring, or the like, is formed around the cap opening 22a, to allow the spindle end 180 to enter, but will lock on the spindle at the end 180 to prevent withdrawal.

A spiral spring 23 is shown aligned in FIG. 5 to be secured on the spindle body 18a beneath the cap 22 and against the outer surface 12a of the hanger coupling end 12. When a cap 22 is joined to the spindle end 180, as has been described, the spiral spring 23 is compressed to urge the hanger faces 13 against one another. While a single spiral spring 23 is shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, as the means for biasing the hanger faces 13 together, it should be obvious that a second spiral spring could be included between the spindle head 18b and hanger outer surface 12a opposite thereto. Optionally, as desired, crescent spring washers, Belleville springs, or the like, could be substituted for the spiral spring 23 herein described, which substitution would provide a spring biasing of the hanger coupling ends 1 l as called for herein, and would therefore not depart from the subject matter coming within the scope of this invention.

As already described herein, the sides 15a of the piers 1S restrict hanger arm end separation past an optimum extended attitude, at which optimum extended attitude the spiral spring 23 biases the cam surfaces flat faces 17 into abutting relationship. The flat faces 17 thereby prevent unwanted reverse or collapsible hanger arm rotation so that a garment, not shown, can be supported on the extended hanger arms 11. Movement of the hanger arms 11 from a collapsed attitude, as shown in FIG. 2, to an erect attitude, as shown in FIG. 1, of course, slides the cam surfaces 14 over one another. As the radially increasing cam surfaces 14 travel over one another, the respective hanger faces 13 are moved apart, further compressing the spiral spring 23 until fiat faces 17 come into proper alignment, whereupon the biasing of spiral spring 23 pushes the cam surfaces into abutting relationship. The hanger arms 11 are thereby locked in an extended attitude one with the other, with faces 17 abutting each other and pier sides 15a abutting the hook stem 20a. To again collapse the hanger 10, it is, necessary to move the cam surfaces flat faces 17 back over one another until the edges 16 of the cam surfaces 14 come into alignment and the cam surfaces 14 will again slide over one another as the hanger arm ends lla are moved together. To move, the cam surfaces flat faces 17 out of engagement with one another, the biasing of the spiral spring 23 must be overcome. By twisting the hanger arm ends 11a ie each counterclockwise as viewed from spindle 18, such that the hanger faces 13 are moved apart, spiral spring 23 is compressed and the cam surfaces faces 17 slide with respect to one another until the edges 16 thereof are clear of one another and the hanger arms 11 can be collapsed toward each other as has been described.

The hanger of the invention is shown collapsed in FIG. 2 such that the hanger arm ends llahave a minimal distance therebetween. In this configuration, the hanger 10 can be inserted, arm ends 11a first, through the neck of a garment, not shown. The hanger arms 11 can then be rotated away from one another, around the spindle 18, until the cam surfaces flat faces 17 come into proper alignment andare biased by spiral spring 23, into abutting relationship. The hanger arms 11 are thereby locked in an extended attitude, with the opposite pier sides l5a butting against the hook stem 20a lock the hook 20, as shown in FIG. 1, in an erect attitude. By later oppositely rotating the extended hanger arm ends 11a within the garment, not shown, the biasing of the spiral spring 23 is overcome with the cam flat faces 17 sliding thereover until the cam surface edges 16 clear with one another. The hanger arms 11 can then be rotated towards one another until the cam surfaces flat faces 17 butt against the pier sides 15b, as shown by the dotted line representation in FIG. 2, and the hanger can be readily removed through the garment neck opening.

The preferred form of material for manufacture of the hanger 10 is a plastic, but it should be understood that other materials, such as wood, or the like, could be used to form the identical hangerarms 11 of the present invention.

Although a preferred form of our invention has been herein disclosed, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is made by way of example and that variations are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, which subject matter we regard as our invention.

We claim:

1. A collapsible garment hanger comprising a pair of hanger arms, each said hanger arm having a circular cam face on one end thereof and each said cam face including a flat surface, an arcuate cam surface extending partially around the cam face from a beginning in the plane of the flat surface and inclined to an abrupt shoulder projecting from the plane of the flat surface, and an arcuate pier extending from the periphery of the cam face, and outwardly from the face, said pier having a side forming a face extending essentially normal to the flat surface adjacent to the beginning of the cam surface and a second side forming a face extending essentially normal to the fiat surface at a location approximately diametrically opposite the abrupt shoulder of the cam surface on the fiat surface;

spindle means loosely journaled through the centers of said cam faces;

means resiliently biasing said cam faces into surface to surface engagement; and

hook means encircling said spindle means and extending upwardly between said flat surfaces and said second sides of said piers of said cam surfaces, whereby when the abrupt shoulders of the cam surfaces are in abutting relationship the second sides of the piers engage the hook means.

2. A collapsible garment hanger as in claim 1, wherein the means resiliently biasing the cam faces into engagement comprises lock means fixed to the spindle; and a spring surrounding the spindle and compressed between the lock means and one of said arms,

3. A collapsible garment hanger as in claim 1, wherein the arms are made of plastic.

4. A collapsible garment hanger as in claim 1,

wherein the hanger arms are identical. 

1. A collapsible garment hanger comprising a pair of hanger arms, each said hanger arm having a circular cam face on one end thereof and each said cam face including a flat surface, an arcuate cam surface extending partially around the cam face from a beginning in the plane of the flat surface and inclined to an abrupt shoulder projecting from the plane of the flat surface, and an arcuate pier extending from the periphery of the cam face, and outwardly from the face, said pier having a side forming a face extending essentially normal to the flat surface adjacent to the beginning of the cam surface and a second side forming a face extending essentially normal to the flat surface at a location approximately diametrically opposite the abrupt shoulder of the cam surface on the flat surface; spindle means loosely journaled through the centers of said cam faces; means resiliently biasing said cam faces into surface to surface engagement; and hook means encircling said spindle means and extending upwardly between said flat surfaces and said second sides of said piers of said cam surfaces, whereby when the abrupt shoulders of the cam surfaces are in abutting relationship the second sides of the piers engage the hook means.
 2. A collapsible garment hanger as in claim 1, wherein the means resiliently biasing the cam faces into engagement comprises lock means fixed to the spindle; and a spring surrounding the spindle and compressed between the lock means and one of said arms.
 3. A collapsible garment hanger as in claim 1, wherein the arms are made of plastic.
 4. A collapsible garment hanger as in claim 1, wherein the hanger arms are identical. 